Tenerife Sea
by the universe in her eyes
Summary: Sometimes it takes an (almost) tragedy to admit your feelings. Rated T just to be safe.


**A/N: A simple one-shot to make up for not having updated Hold Me Tonight yet.**

 **I'm sorry if there are any mistakes in this chapter, it's midnight here and I've had a really long day. Anyway, happy reading :)**

* * *

Maura shows up at Jane's apartment at seven o'clock, exactly on time as always. Jane jogs towards her front door, finishing her ponytail just before she opens the door. She's wearing a suit, but when she sees Maura, she realizes that her white blouse and grey blazer are nothing be compared to what Maura's wearing. She's wearing a black dress with just a hint of red around her collarbones, and she looks stunning.

She always does.

"Wow, Maur," Jane says and looks up at her, meeting hazel eyes that twinkle slightly. "Ready to go?" Maura asks, simply smiling at Jane's comment about her looks.

Jane smiles back, grabbing her keys and phone from the table next to the door before answering.

"Ready." Jane steps outside, closing the door behind her before one more time eyeing Maura's dress, and eventually her backside when she turns around. Maura's honey blonde locks cover her upper back, their color in contrast with the color of her dress. Although she knows it's inappropriate, Jane doesn't stop staring until they get in the cab that will take them to the restaurant.

 _You look so wonderful in your dress_  
 _I love your hair like that_  
 _The way it falls on the side of your neck_  
 _Down your shoulders and back_

* * *

They talk about the case during dinner. It was Maura's turn to pick a restaurant, so that has resulted in Jane finding herself in one of the fanciest restaurants in Boston.

"It still feels wrong to know I wouldn't even be able to pay the bill tonight," Jane says, looking up at Maura.

"It's okay, Jane. I'm simply in a different financial situation than you are."

Jane scoffs. "You mean, I'm a blue-collar cop and you're a well-educated Chief Medical Examiner."

Although they've had this conversation more times than Maura can count, her continued reassurance hasn't taken away every part of Jane's insecurity just yet.

"We've always been like this and I really don't mind," Maura says. "And by the way, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

Jane shrugs, not knowing how to take the compliment. She doesn't give herself compliments very often, you may as well say never. She's always pushing herself to work harder and to eventually be the best detective in the building. In her opinion, nothing she does is perfect.

"We're planning on bringing the guy in tomorrow," Jane continues, changing the subject back to work. "We found a local address, it's some old building downtown. I actually wanted to ask you if you could come with us. He probably has a brain condition, you're the one who knows the best way to handle him."

Maura almost tells Jane that she doesn't have any experience in treating brain conditions, but she realizes that that would be considered a "Googlemouth" answer.

"Yeah, that's fine. Just text me when you're going and I'll meet you downstairs" she answers instead. Jane nods and Maura continues eating her salad.

Jane realizes once again that she's very lucky to have Maura as a best friend. She just looks at her for a while instead of eating, enjoying the fact that she can really look at Maura now. They haven't had a moment with just the two of them in a long time, difficult cases and long days being the cause of that. Jane usually orders a pizza while Maura grabs a salad from the cafe downstairs. If they do eat together, it's usually on Jane's couch, surrounded by files from the case they are working.

Maura looks up suddenly, looking at Jane who averts her eyes quickly. "You're staring," she says.

"I uhh, I was just thinking that you look very beautiful," Jane says quickly, already thinking of ways to change the subject again. This is definitely not the conversation she wants to have right now. **If** she even wants to have that conversation. Ever.

Maura smiles at her. "You too, Jane."

There's no place she would rather be right now.

 _You look so beautiful in this light_  
 _Your silhouette over me_  
 _The way it brings out the blue in your eyes_  
 _Is the Tenerife sea_

* * *

 **"Jane!"** The moment Frost shouts her name, she knows something's wrong. She feels the presence of the attacker and knows, without looking, that he's right behind her. She whirls around, already pulling her gun from the holster, but she's a second too late.

She rather hears the gunshot than feels the actual bullet enter her. She fires back, blindly, just before her legs give out and she hits the floor. A split second after that, she hears another gunshot, followed by several voices screaming things that don't quite reach her ears. Her vision is blurry and the concrete floor is cold against her back.

She manages to look down at her stomach, but the sharp pain that comes with the movement makes her dizzy.

 _There's too much blood,_ she thinks. _How long does it take for a person to bleed out? Maura told me once._

She feels exhausted, it's as if all the energy has left her body. She prays Frost didn't get hit.

 _If I could just close my eyes for a second._

"Stay with me, Jane. You're alright. The ambulance is on it's way," Korsak's voice appears from somewhere on her left, keeping her from falling into slumber.

"Diddyou get 'm?" she mumbles. "Yeah. Frost shot the guy," Korsak answers, "You did great work too Jane, gotta hang in there now."

Before Jane finds the strength to reply, Maura's face swims into view. "Jane," she says, her voice already thick with tears. Maura falls onto her knees, grabbing Jane's hand before looking up at Korsak. He puts his hand of Maura's shoulder for a second and they share a look of understanding, a look that says _you should stay with her, it's okay. I know, I understand._

When Korsak has left, Maura leans over Jane and lifts her shirt. She has to work really hard to stay calm, but that's hard when you see your best friend laying on the floor of an abandoned building with so much blood surrounding her. Without hesitating, Maura lets go of Jane's hand for a second and takes off her scarf. Before Jane can say anything, Maura's puts the two hundred dollar scarf over the bullet wound, applying pressure while trying to ignore the way Jane's body flinches.

"I told you ... to wait outside," Jane whispers.

"I heard gunshots. Frost came back, but you weren't there," Maura replies and grabs Jane's hand again. Jane is having trouble breathing and Maura is certain that the bullet has at least broken two ribs. She tries not to think of the internal damage this has caused and will cause, if the paramedics won't arrive soon.

"Mmmso tired, Maur," Jane slurs, her eyelids falling closed again. Her breathing slows and Maura, even though she's had about a hundred medical trainings, doesn't know what to do. She can only think of one thing: keeping Jane awake for as long as possible.

"Jane, I need you to stay with me." Maura feels Jane's grip on her hand tighten for a second, but she doesn't say anything anymore.

Both Maura and Jane hear sirens approaching. _Finally,_ Maura thinks. "You're going to be okay, Jane," she says, although Jane's grip on her hand has loosened noticeably.

Jane, on her part, doesn't have the strength to stay awake any longer. She knows the paramedics will be here in less than a minute.

 _I can let go now_.

If Jane could choose the way she were to leave this world, it would be like this.

This way is not at all painless, but Maura's here with her. It's Maura's perfume that surrounds her, Maura's body hovering over her to take care of her.

That's all she needs.

 _And should this be the last thing I see_  
 _I want you to know it's enough for me_  
 _'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_

One last thought crosses Jane's mind, just before she finally loses consciousness. She barely registers it, but it's still there, coming from afar.

 _I haven't told Maura that I'm in love with her._

* * *

The white light she sees when she opens her eyes does nothing to lessen the headache she already has. She tries to raise her hand to block out some of the light, only to realize that she can't. As in, physically can't. Because someone is holding her hand.

She turns her head and her eyes meet a pair of hazel ones that can only belong to one person.

"Maur," Jane rasps, voice rough from disuse. Maura is sitting in a chair next to Jane's bed, wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Or was it the day before yesterday?

"You're okay. We're in the hospital. You're safe," Maura says.

"How long?" Jane asks. She can't find the strength to make a full sentence, but Maura understands her anyway. "Two days."

Jane sighs, but flinches when the movement causes a sharp pain in her ribcage. "I'm sorry."

Tears have formed in Maura's eyes and she has to work really hard to not let them fall. Seeing Jane like this, in a hospital bed with her hand in hers. It hurts her heart, although she knows that's not really possible because the heart can't actually be hurting from this, since it's -

"Maura?" Jane's voice interrupts her thoughts. Her vision clears and she focuses on Jane. "Yeah?"

"I need to tell you something."

"Anything, Jane."

They're silent for a while, Maura waiting for Jane to continue and Jane trying to find the courage to tell Maura what she has wanted to say for a really long time.

"Promise me you'll stay?" Jane asks, feelings of doubt already beginning to take over.

"Always," Maura answers, not even considering her response.

Jane has no idea how this will end, but she has to tell Maura. Maybe the situation they find themselves in right now isn't the best one for what she's about to do, but the timing feels right. At least to her, since she's finally realized there's one person in her life she cannot lose. And she's done with having to keep her feelings for herself.

"I'm in love with you."

Jane looks at Maura a few seconds after her confession, only to realize that she's crying. Tears fall freely from Maura's eyes, but she doesn't look sad at all.

Before Jane can say anything, Maura gets up from her chair only to wrap her arms around Jane's neck, careful not to touch her ribcage.

She buries her face in Jane's neck, still not managing to say anything except "Jane."

Jane, on her part, waits patiently and gently rubs Maura's back, trying to get her to calm down.

The next words Jane hears may possibly be the best ones she has heard in her entire life, although she feels them being mumbled against her neck rather than she actually hears them. But she wouldn't trade this moment for anything.

"I love you too, Jane. So much."

 _I'm so in love, so in love_

 _So in love, so in love_

* * *

 **A/N: I simply cannot write character deaths. I can't. I couldn't have let Jane die, especially not without telling Maura she's in love with her.**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked this one-shot, if you did (or didn't), please leave a review :) The song I used in this chapter is *please act all surprised because the title totally didn't give this away* Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran.**

 **And just FYI, I'll be updating Hold Me Tonight soon. I promise.**


End file.
